Host City

The city of Barcelona is located at a strategic point in the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, delimited by two river deltas and surrounded by nature as the Collserola mountain range and the Montjuic mountain range. It is a city open to the Mediterranean Sea with more than two thousand years of history. A great cosmopolitan and multicultural European metropolis in which knowledge, fun, creativity, tradition and sustainability coexist. Capital of Catalonia, it has welcomed many cultures and civilizations and has witnessed great transformations.

Founded at the end of the 1st century B.C. as a Roman colony under the name of Barcino, it had a defensive wall that is still preserved in the historic centre of the city. The fruitful medieval era turned Barcelona into an economic and political centre of the western Mediterranean and the city's Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendor of the city from the 13th to the 15th century.

The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona's most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. Antoni Gaudí, author of the temple of the Sagrada Família or the Casa Milà (or Pedrera), Lluís Domènech i Montaner, author of the singular Palau de la Música Catalana or Josep Puig i Cadafalch, one of the authors of the Palau de la Generalitat or the Casa Amatller are some of the most important Catalan architects of this period.

The city's hosting of the 1992 Olympic Games gave fresh impetus to Barcelona's potential and reaffirmed its status as a major metropolis. In 2004, the Forum of Cultures reclaimed industrial zones to convert them into residential districts. An example of the renewed vigour with which Barcelona is looking towards the 21st century.

It has direct rail connections with destinations such as Paris, Lyon, Marseille or Toulouse, and by high-speed train with Madrid, and other areas such as the Levant coast and southern Spain. It has important railway stations and a suburban train network that allows you to travel anywhere.

Barcelona Sants Station: this is the main railway station in the city.
Metro: L5 and L3.National Trains
Ave: Barcelona-Madrid.

Barcelona is very well connected and there are many parking spaces. The network of motorways and roads allow you to reach any point of the city by car. It is necessary to warn that the traffic is usually busy.

Located at 150 km from the border with France, in La Junquera, the French motorway and road network connects with the AP-7, N-II and C-32 to Barcelona. The city can be reached by car via the Ronda Litoral or Ronda de Dalt, or via Avenida Meridiana to the city centre.

From the south, if you are coming from the rest of Spain you can connect with the AP-7 motorway and the C-32, the access to Barcelona by car is through Diagonal Avenue.

Metro: there are 8 metro lines that are identified by the number or colour of the line. It operates on weekdays from Monday to Thursday, Sundays and public holidays from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Fridays and public holidays from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.. On Saturdays and eves of 1/1, 24/6, 15/8 and 24/9 it has continuous service. www.tmb.cat

Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya: is the urban and metropolitan rail network. It operates on weekdays from Monday to Thursday, Sundays and public holidays from 5 to 24h, Fridays from 5 to 2h and Saturdays and eve of 1/1, 24/6 and 24/9 continuous service. www.fgc.cat

Tram: the tram or Tram runs from Monday to Thursday, Sundays and public holidays from 5am to 24am and on Fridays and Saturdays and public holidays from 5am to 2am. www.tram.cat

Buses: more than 80 bus lines cover any area of the city and are conditioned for people with reduced mobility. Bus passes are valid for metro, Tram, FGC urban lines and Renfe suburban trains (zone 1). Timetables depend on the lines, but most start at 4.25 am and end at 11 pm. www.tmb.cat

Taxi: Barcelona has a network of eleven thousand taxis identified with the colours yellow and black. www.taxibarcelona.cat

Barcelona has moderate temperatures, typical of a mild Mediterranean climate. It is characterized by relatively humid and mild winters and dry summers. The rainiest seasons are autumn and spring.

Language

There are two official languages in Catalonia: Catalan and Spanish, and more and more people understand and speak English, especially in the tourism sector.Gastronomy

Catalonia cuisine is a gastronomic paradise, where cuisine is a mouthwatering blend of heritage, produce, terroir, tradition, creativity, innovation. All of these things, together with an endless love of fine-dining culture, make discovering it with your palate a truly appealing option. In the following link you will find information about the city's gastronomic offer, about Catalonia's gastronomic heritage, examples of restaurants and gastronomic experiences available.https://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/148/catalan-cuisine.html

Savings banks are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 2pm and Thursday afternoons from 4.30pm to 7.45pm, except from June to September. Banks operate from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 2 pm, and Saturdays from 8.30 am to 1 pm, except in summer. Safety

Barcelona is a safe city, but like any big city, you have to be careful with security and it is advisable to take into account some tips: Take care of your belongings and pay special attention to public transport and the main tourist attractions, carry your backpacks and bags protected and watch at all times, carry only the necessary money or keep the passport or original identity document at a safe place.

See the document "Welcome to Barcelona" to inform temporary citizens about the issues of security and coexistence, click here.

Shopping

Barcelona is a city that invites you to buy. It allows you to choose from a wide variety of commercial proposals that form part of its identity and uniqueness, while you can walk through the attractive and historic surroundings of its neighbourhoods.